


The Final String

by Insert_Clever_Name_Here



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Diverges somewhere, F/F, F/M, I think that's it on relationships?, Kind of AU, Leonard Snart Lives, M/M, Rating might go up but I really don't know, Red String of Fate, Slight OOC but with reasons, Soulmates AU, but not really, i don't know yet, maybe more later - Freeform, more tags later probably, this is very confusing, this whole thing got away from me, time travel!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-16 09:51:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13633848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insert_Clever_Name_Here/pseuds/Insert_Clever_Name_Here
Summary: “Okay. What am I wrong about then?”“What you said. You’re final words, as it were. They were wrong.”There are no strings on me. Len growled. “No. I died so I - so all of us would be free. No damn-”The Oculus held one hand up, asking him to quiet. He shut his mouth with an audible click and glared. “I understand. Leonard, please take a look at your left hand.” He did, slowly, and saw a line - no a literal string, almost like yarn - of red. He saw it come from his pinky, looping several times around his finger before tying off in a neat bow, and extending out into the distance, disappearing into thin air. “That is the string."-----------------------------------------------------------------After Leonard Snart gave his life, he was given a choice - sever your strings, or follow the final one home. Following it will bring him through the timelines of some familiar people on his way home - what he does when gets there, is up to him.





	1. The Choice

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this! I started this work to get over some writers block, assuming it wouldn't go anywhere and . . . well, I already have three chapters written. So I figured I may as well post it somewhere. 
> 
> This idea has been with me a for a few months now, but I don't think I've seen it anywhere else? First time posting to the site, so let me know if I did anything wrong! Thanks! 
> 
> More notes at end of chapter.

“You’re wrong.” 

Len’s eyes snapped open at the voice. He was surprised to find himself standing in a completely white space. He whirled around to face the voice and was simultaneously relieved and concerned with who he found. “Lisa?” 

Lisa smiled, and it was wrong. All sweet and soft, with a gentle head tilt that was nothing like his baby sister, but somehow was. “Not quite. I thought this form might set you at ease. Would Miss Lance have been more appropriate?” 

Len shook his head, feeling fuzzy and confused. “No - ahh, this is fine. Whatever. Where am I?” He paused briefly, head tilting in consideration. “And who, exactly are you?” 

She smiled again, and this time Len could place how it was familiar. That’s how Lisa smiled before he left her when they were young. “Both of those are difficult questions. I am - Well, you would likely know me as the Oculus. And we are lost in time, at the moment.” 

And that’s when the memories of what had landed Len here came rushing back - the Oculus, the explosion . . . his sacrifice. “Okay. What am I wrong about then?” 

“What you said. You’re final words, as it were. They were wrong.” 

There are no strings on me. Len growled. “No. I died so I - so all of us would be free. No damn-” 

The Oculus held one hand up, asking him to quiet. He shut his mouth with an audible click and glared. “I understand. Leonard, please take a look at your left hand.” He did, slowly, and saw a line - no a literal string, almost like yarn - of red. He saw it come from his pinky, looping several times around his finger before tying off in a neat bow, and extending out into the distance, disappearing into thin air. “That is the string. Have you heard of it?” 

He shook his head, slowly, squinting in an attempt to follow the string to something. 

“It is called the String of Fate - it requires little of you. Does not demand any action of you. It merely . . . requires a meeting. What you do with it, or after it, is free will. It merely connects you and the one you are meant to be with - meant, but not forced.” 

“A soulmate.” Len said it as a joke, but the Oculus inclined her head slightly, and so it was true. He had a soulmate. “Have I met them already?” 

She smiled slightly. Yes. You would have been unable to make your sacrifice if you hadn’t. As I said, that single point is required.” 

“Okay.” He moved his hand slightly, watching the string stretch and move with his hand. He brought his hand up and quickly back down, hoping to create a wave with the string, but it just followed his hand. He moved his other hand to touch it gently, but his other hand went straight through. “Why are you telling me this?” 

His eyes left the string to flick back to the Oculus and she pursed her lips. “I am . . . grateful, I suppose. To you.” Len frowned at her, brow crinkling, because last he’d check he blew her up. “You see I am a small piece of something large. A thread to the cloth, if you will.” She paused, checking to see if he was following and he waved for her to continue. “I am a piece of something called the Speed Force.” 

“Speed Force? I assumed you’d be a thread of time or something.” 

She smiled once again. “The Speed Force connects time and space. It is the most tangible part of time there is. And the easiest to manipulate, if you know how - it is, for example, what gives speedsters their speed.” 

Len huffed a laugh. “Speedsters? As in Barry?” 

The Oculus smiled fondly. “Yes. The Speed Force is what makes Mr. Allen the Flash.” 

“No.” The word left him quickly, before he’d really given it permission. The Oculus titled its head, confused by his outburst. “Ignore that, it was nothing.” 

The Oculus sighed. “Leonard, if there is something you wish to say, I will not tell anyone. I can’t, even if I truly desired to.” 

He rolled his eyes at her, but decided he may as well. “You make Barry Allen a speedster - his heart makes him a hero, makes him the Flash. The damn goody two shoes.” 

Again she smiled, only this time it looked strangely knowing. “Of course, my apologies. I didn’t mean to offend you.” He opened his mouth to say he wasn’t offended but decided it wasn’t worth it. “As I was saying, I am grateful. I am telling you about this string as thanks.” 

“For freeing you?” 

“Yes. I am now able to rejoin the rest of the Speed Force, and I glad for it.” He remembered Lisa, when she’d found him after he’d left her, all hard edges and snippy remarks about how she’d grown up. And while the Oculus was softer than his sister had been then, the look in her eyes is something he would always remember - the sparkle of finally being home. He smiled despite himself. 

“I’m glad you can rejoin your . . . family?” He paused, and the Oculus tilted her head before nodding slowly, acknowledging this was an acceptable term. “So, when you rejoin the Speed Force, what happens to me?” 

The Speed Force walked a couple of steps towards him, with a slight smile. “That is up to you, Leonard. As I said, free will. To thank you for freeing me, I’d like to give you a choice. Either I can sever the string, disconnect you and - your soulmate.” The Oculus paused with a frown, and Len knew where that had been going. She was about to reveal who his soulmate was. Len wasn’t sure if he should be pleased of disappointed that she hadn’t. 

“Or?” 

And at that, her smile morphed into a wide grin. “Or, I can allow you to follow it.” 

“Follow it where exactly?” 

“Home.” 

“You mean to my soulmate.” 

She inclined her head. “Yes. It will take you to your soulmate. What you do beyond that is, of course, up to you. You don’t have to remain with them.” 

Len paused. A soulmate . . . whoever the poor sap was, they didn’t need Len butting in to ruin their lives, that was for sure. But if it could take him home, to Lisa . . . “If I sever it?” 

“You die.” 

Blunt. Okay. So death, or find some person who was tied to Len, and get a chance to go home to Lisa. “Well. I promised my sister I would come home.” And I always do. 

The Oculus nodded, face turning serious. “There are, of course, conditions.” Len inclined his head. Of course. “It will not be a straight path. You will go through many timelines. Your soulmate’s, those close to him and to you, your own. At some places, you may even be able to do something good.” 

Him. Len thought briefly. It wasn’t a problem - Len had never been swayed towards either gender in particular, preferring only that they provide him some sort of challenge. It was still nice to know if only a little about who he was tied to - literally. Instead of that, he said, “Something good? Doesn’t quite sound like me.” 

He and the Oculus knew that wasn’t true. He’d given his life to save the world, to save his friends. He was a time travelling hero now and they both knew it. The Oculus, at least, was tactful enough not say it, even if she did raise an unimpressed eyebrow at him. “If you do this, be aware, you and I will be . . . connected.” Len bristled and she raised her hands, face soft, like he was a spooked animal. “Not in the way you were. I will not influence you, or your actions. Simply, you will be able to tap in my energy - our energy, when I rejoin the Speed Force.” 

“Like a speedster?” 

“Not quite.” She paused, thinking. “Speedsters manipulare the speed force to speed themselves up. You would slow things down.” 

He pursed his lips. “What’s the difference?” 

“For one, you won’t be able to run quite as fast.” Len laughed once again, this time more than just a huff of air, but not quite a full laugh. “When a speedster - Barry for example - taps into the Speed Force, he forces his own timeline to run at nearly impossible speeds, fast forwarding himself, but leaving the rest of the world on the same schedule - speedsters typically only affect themselves.” 

“I’ll affect others.” Len’s mind whirred with possibilities. Could he slow down a camera so it couldn’t catch his movements? What about a triggered alarm, could he slow the signal to make a clean getaway? What about people? . . . Could he slow down the Flash? 

She inclined her head. “Yes. Whatever you slow is the only thing to slow. If you slow a whole room, for example, anything to enter the room after you having slowed it will keep its timeline. And when the room resumes its normal speed, it will be out of sync with the rest of the world.” She paused. “The rest of your powers you should likely discover on your own.” Len nodded. It was a reasonable request. She’d told him enough already. 

“Okay. So, how do I follow it.” 

Again she smiled. “You pull.”


	2. The Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len goes back to the night his mom walked out and finds out what kind of good he can start doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably never happen again, but I've got two more chapters written after this, so who's a double update gonna hurt?  
> More notes at the end!

Len was tired. Figuring out what the hell  _ pull _ meant had been a fucking chore. It took what felt like  _ hours _ for him to realize, that,  _ of course _ , soulmate bullshit had to be sappy and he had to pull with his damn  _ heart _ . He snorted, despite himself, before looking around to see himself on a quiet and familiar street. He realized that he was on the street he grew up on when he heard the shouting. He winced, knowing exactly where the noise was coming from and stalked over to his childhood home. He quickly ducked behind a bush, as the door opened. 

 

Len’s breath caught in his throat. He was . . . this was the night his mom left. He watched as his father screamed after her, while she sprinted across the yard and onto the street. The door slammed shut, and Len slinked after her, tailing her all the way to the 24hr diner that was just a few blocks further into the heart of the city. 

 

He waited a few moments before filing in, eyes scanning the place in an attempt to find her. His mother had left shortly before Lisa was born - her husband having a child with another woman evidently not sitting well. They were soon divorced and, because she had little work experience to speak of, the court ordered he remain with his father - despite him being a convict. His mother hadn’t had the money for a decent lawyer. 

 

But he would never forget her face - large and expressive eyes, with laugh lines at the corners. Wide smile that always ended up slightly crooked. High cheekbones and a beautiful dark complexion - his father had always been many things, but it wasn’t until jail that he became a racist. The scar on her left eyebrow from Lewis’ first night back from prison. 

 

But now, watching her sob into a napkin at a diner, he wanted so much more than to just memorize her face in more vivid detail. 

 

_. . . you may even be able to do something good _ . Something good. Maybe this was the start of that. Slowly he approached her, noting how empty the room was and knowing it would be weird if he asked to sit next to her. He did anyway. 

 

“Mind if I join you?” his slow drawl stopped the woman’s wracking sobs and she glanced up at him. 

 

“I don’t want any trouble. Or anything else, for that matter.” Len offered a smile - genuine. 

 

“Well, I wouldn’t feel right, letting you sit here and cry by yourself.” She turned slightly to glare at him and Len hid his wince with a shrug. “Not asking for anything. Just the seat - and the story, if you’re willing to tell. I’ve got a good set of ears.” 

 

She continued to side eye him before deflating and giving a small nod. He gestured to the waitress for a cup of coffee and was more than content to sit here and drink it, noticing that his mother’s sniffles had died down considerably. 

 

“It’s my husband.” Len looked at her through the corner of his eyes, but she was staring into her coffee and he could take a hint. His eyes returned to his own mug. “He cheated on me. He’s having a baby with another woman.” 

 

She paused, and Len went on a limb, assuming this was his time to interject. “Sounds like a dick.” 

 

She hiccoughed out a laugh at that. Len smiled into his mug, masking it with a sip. “You’re not wrong. Maybe I’m better off - I married a cop, not some two-bit criminal. But he’d been crooked his whole life, wouldn’t know what a good cop looked like if they took a bullet for him - which his partner  _ did _ , by the way.” Len’s breath stuttered at that. He’d never knew his dad’s first partner had died of a gunshot wound, but had no idea the bullet had been meant for his dad. “I’m just . . . We have a son together. I’m afraid of losing him. My baby boy . . .” 

 

Len nodded. “I’d bet.” 

 

She laughed again, but this time it was bitter. She turned to face him fully and he finally saw it - the eye she’d been hiding was now covered in a blossoming bruise. “You have no idea.” She turned back, this time staring into space. “I know I should go to the police. But I don’t . . . I don’t know why but I can’t-” 

 

“I get it. My dad was a real special piece of work. Might not even matter even if you did go forward, honestly.” She nodded, seeming relieved that he understood. 

 

“I have to go find somewhere to stay now. Thank you for listening.” She pulled her small bag onto her lap, and he put a hand out, stopping her. 

 

“I’ve got this.” She looked up at him in surprise. “Keep your money, get yourself somewhere to stay for the night. Do you have enough for a motel?” She looked at him, seeming slightly distressed before slowly shaking her head. He nodded, reaching for his wallet. He leafed through the cash, relieved to see a large chunk of money, all in appropriate years - seems the Oculus had done him a number of favors. He pulled out two hundreds and put them into her hand. “Put yourself up for a couple of days. Get yourself some clean clothes. I’ll pay for your food.” 

 

She was shaking her head. “No I can’t possibly-” 

 

“Please.” His voice broke on the syllable, and that seemed to give her pause. “It’s . . . You remind me of my mom. She left when I was little. Dad used to . . . teach us both lessons, and she got sick of it. Let me do for you what I wish I could have done for her.” She bit her lip and closed her hand around the bills. 

 

“I-I don’t know how I could possibly thank you for this.” 

 

He smiled. “Promise me something?” She nodded, telling him she’d do anything. He threw a twenty onto the table, certain that would be more than enough for two coffees and a short stack. He moved to the door, opened it, and looked at his mother. “Keep in touch with your son. No matter how things go. Make sure he knows that he didn’t lose you.” 

 

At her determined nod, Len let the door fall closed. He walked out and saw the string, pulling him down the street. He sighed, closing his eyes, and finding his cold, shriveled up heart, and he pulled. 

 

\-----------------------------------------

 

After his mom left, Leo was scared he was gonna lose her forever. He almost cried at the trial but then looked over and saw his new step mom and his baby sister, Lisa. Looking back to his mom, he decided that all he wanted was for her to be happy, and some loser kid like him wasn’t able to do that for her. The most he could hope for was to protect Little Lisa as long as he could. 

 

So when, a week after the trial, his grandfather presented him with an envelope with familiar looping script, he felt his heart tighten slightly in his chest. 

 

_ Leo,  _

 

_ I know it’s gonna be hard for you, and I am so sad to have gone. I’m going to miss you so much, baby boy. But don’t ever forget, this isn’t goodbye. I will always be your mother, I will always love you, and I will always be here for you. You are the greatest parts of me, and I couldn’t ask for a better son.  _

 

_ Your grandfather agreed to let me send you letters once a week, so I’m going to. I plan to include photos when I can, so you always know what I look like. You don’t have to respond to the letters. But I’d love it if you did.  _

 

_ I’m gonna miss you so much, Leo. Take care of your little sister for me, okay? I know her birth was the thing that split me and your dad up, but that’s not her fault, it’s his. And mind your step mother, she didn’t know what she was doing. Be a good boy for me, Leo, and don’t ever let him scare the light out of you.  _

 

_ You will always be stronger than him,  _

_ Mom.  _

 

Leo felt tears well into his eyes as he stroked the paper. He kept the tears from falling, for once not because of fear of being weak, but for fear of smudging the ink.  _ I will always be here for you _ . He clutched the letter to his chest, eyes falling to the ground. As they did, he saw the photo that had fallen out, small enough that he could hide it in his wallet. And he saw his mother’s face, smiling with wet eyes directly into the camera. He took out his wallet and hastily shoved it in, before rereading the letter again with a smile. 

 

His grandfather chose that moment to walk into the living, approaching cautiously. “It was your mother’s idea. I got us an old polaroid camera in case you want to send one back?” His father held out a pen and a sheet of letter paper. 

 

“Thank you!” He grabbed the paper and pen, immediately moving to sit on the ground and leaning onto the coffee table to write his first letter - his first response to his mom. 

 

He was never, ever going to lose his mom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sweet baby Leo. My sweet baby Len. All of my sweet babies.  
> I currently have a giant timeline worked out that's part ripped from the wiki and part me adding stuff in. So that's going well. I also gave lots of people birthdays that wont end up mattering in the end.  
> I just wanted to mention, the part at the end, Len doesn't know. Our Len doesn't get the memories of the changes, so the part after the dashes isn't a memory he has - it never happened in his original timeline. All of the chapters are going to be like this, Len making a change, a line of dashes, and then showing the effect the change had.  
> I think that's all for now, lovelies! I will probably post more soon because I do have plenty written? So, I guess, see you soon!  
> EDIT: Switched digital camera to polaroid for accuracy - thanks Mia!


	3. The Lock Pick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lisa's mom leaves, and Leo learns how to pick a lock.

Len blinked and tilted his head. He was in the same spot as he’d appeared the last time. On the street he lived until he was sixteen. He heard a car engine start on the quiet street and saw a familiar green convertible reverse out of the driveway and speed out of the neighborhood, music blaring and top down. He pursed his lips and looked back to his old house - house, not home - and listened to the shouting. 

 

“This is  _ your fault _ !” Lewis Snart, a face Len was not happy to revisit, stormed out of the house, dragging Len (Leo, back then he was still Leo) by his shirt collar. A very small brunette head popped out, eyes wide and watery, and Lisa slowly followed her big brother, keeping to the shadows like she had been taught. “You were letting your little sister draw on the walls  _ again _ , and now she’s gone! First your whore mother, now Lisa’s! You’re chasing everyone away, Leonard!” 

 

Len looked around, watching faces poke out of homes before the doors shut tightly again, ignoring. People were always that way. Just looking out for their own, never caring to help anyone. Len paused, obscuring himself slightly behind a tree to watch the scene unfold. 

 

Leo was staring at the ground, dry eyed, and defiant. Len didn’t remember that, he thought he was sobbing by this point, pleading with his father that it wasn’t his fault. Len smiled slightly to himself. He was already having an effect. 

 

“Well, I’ll teach you!” Lewis Snart marched to the shed, undid the lock on the chain, and shoved his son inside. 

 

“Wenny!” Lisa cried, sprinting in after her brother. Leo grabbed the girl and held his baby sister to his chest, hiding her sobs in his sweatshirt. 

 

“Fine! You two useless shits wanna rot in the shed together be my guest!” And with that, Lewis slammed the door shut, rechained the door, and locked it tight. Len waited, watching, as Lewis scrubbed a hand over his face and moved back to the door. “Maybe I’ll get some damn peace and quiet this way,” he muttered, mostly to himself, so quiet Len could barely hear it. 

 

After a few minutes, the TV clicked on at a blaring volume and Len started moving. He knew this was his moment. 

 

He moved to the door and saw a small hand with a bit of thick copper wire searching out the lock and huffed a laugh. The way he remembered it, it had taken him nearly an hour to work up the courage to unlock the door. Len peered in and saw his own face tilted away and scrunched up, Lisa sitting in his lap and clutching his shirt while he concentrated. 

 

“Move kid,” he intoned, slapping the grabbing hands away. “I’ll get it for you.” He plucked the wire from his own hand, readjusted the wire, and started on the lock. 

 

Leo’s faced turned to the stranger in surprise. “Who-who are you? What do you want?” 

 

Len rolled his eyes, the lock falling open and removing the chains from the door. “Want? I don’t think there’s much for you to offer here, kid.” 

 

Leo’s eyes were fierce as he moved his sister off his lap and pushed her behind himself. “Then what are you doing? If you think you can-” 

 

“Look, kid, I’m just trying to help you out here, honestly. You want it or not?” 

 

“Only people willing to help others are suckers and scam artists, so which are you?” 

 

Len barked a laugh at the kid. He paused briefly, listening for noise from the house, and was relieved to hear no movement. “Neither kid. You saying you wouldn’t help your sister? Or are you a sucker?” 

 

Leo bristled, backing up so Lisa was directly in front of a wall, boxing her in to shield her. “Neither. Family’s different. You always gotta look out for family.” 

 

“Look, kid-” 

 

“I’m thirteen,  _ old man _ , ‘m not a kid.” 

 

“Fine then. You want me to call you shorty, or you gonna give me a name?” Len remembered being thirteen, and a half a head below his classmates. Hadn’t quite hit his growth spurt yet, and  _ hated _ his height. Leo glared in response, lips tightening. “Okay, shorty it is.” 

 

“Leo.” Len smirked - he knew how to push buttons, and it was oddly satisfying to push his own. 

 

“Okay then, Leo. As I was  _ saying _ , I’m not a sucker, and you don’t have anything I want. Guess that leaves us with one option.” 

 

“You’re dumber than you look?” 

 

“Says the kid who can’t pick a lock.” Leo rolled his eyes, but Len saw the tension start to drain out of him. “Look, kid, someone did a nice thing for me when I was your age, so I’m gonna do a nice thing for you. Okay? Just trying to even the scales out. I don’t owe anything to anyone, not even the universe. Think of it as settling a score.” 

 

“Oh, so I’m the one in the red?” 

 

Len laughed, turning his back and starting to walk down the road. “Sure. And when you’re my age, I expect you to pay up. No do you guys want some food or not?” 

 

He heard Lisa’s voice but couldn’t quite make out her words. Len assumed she was saying she was hungry. Len hissed something in response to her, and she sniffled. 

 

“You come with me, kid, and I’ll show you how to pick a lock.” Apparently, that was what the kid needed, because he heard careful footsteps quickly move over to him before the siblings settled beside him, Lisa on the inside closest to the grass, and Len on the outside closest to the curb. 

 

He walked them back to the diner he had been in what felt like under an hour ago, but in reality was likely four years ago. 

 

He settled the kids into a booth, Lisa and Leo on one side and Len on the side facing the door. If he was right, his father was passed out on the couch by now and wouldn’t notice his kids absence, but Len wanted to keep an eye on the door, just in case. Plus, he always liked to keep an eye on the room, and his back to the wall facing the door was the best way to do that. 

 

A waitress brought over a coloring sheet and some crayons for Lisa, and menus for Len and Leo. 

 

“So, you know my name. You gonna give me yours?” Leo was aiming for tough, but that was pretty hard to accomplish after Len had ordered him a strawberry milkshake and he currently had a spot of whipped cream on his nose. 

 

Len thought. Saying Leonard would probably be a bad idea - Leonard wasn’t the most common name, he knew, and Leo would probably assume this was some kind of a con. “Allen.” Len wanted to bang his head against something. Why the hell was that the name he picked? Of course, anytime he did something good, his mind wandered back to a naive speedster who said that Len was  _ good _ . But doing a couple good deeds didn’t make him good. He was still a liar, a cheat, and a scoundrel. A couple good things didn’t tip his scales any. 

 

“I’m Wisa!” The three year old chirped, her small chocolate shake sitting untouched and her apple juice half gone - Len knew she wouldn’t drink the shake, but she’d pouted when he order one for Leo, so he got her one too. Leo had looked immensely grateful at that. Now, he looked put out, shushing his sister. 

 

“Hi there, little Lisa, it’s nice to meet you,”  _ Allen _ apparently replied. Len was going to hate himself for that for years to come. She grinned at him, baby teeth  showing, before going back to her intense coloring. 

 

“You said you’d teach me to pick a lock?” Len waved down the waitress and asked for another roll of crayons. She pulled one out of her apron and handed it directly to Leo. She walked off, telling Len the food would be out ‘in a minute’, and Len placed the crayons carefully. 

 

Slowly, he showed Leo exactly what happened inside a lock when you picked it, giving detailed descriptions of the feels and sounds of the whole thing. The food came, and waitress laughed, assuming they were playing a game when she saw Len hitting the crayons with his wrapped straw. 

 

By the end of the meal, Leo was laughing, and Lisa looked like she was about to fall asleep. Len paid, leaving a healthy tip for the waitress. The three walked out the door, Lisa piggy backed on Leo, head lolling the side slightly as she fought to stay awake. 

 

“Thank you.” Len looked down, but Leo was staring straight ahead after saying it. Len shook his head, eyes also returning to the street ahead of him. He was reminded distantly of his mother, who also starred straight when she was forced to be vulnerable around others. Guess he knew where that habit came from then. 

 

“Not every good person in your life is gonna be a sucker.” Len could almost here Leo roll his eyes. “I’m serious, Leo. Yeah, most of them are angling for something or just naive. But a few people are honestly just good people.” 

 

“How do you know the difference?” Len almost started at the voice. Leo had been doing a good job of sounding confident, and even when he failed, he always sounded  _ older _ . This was the first time Len heard him for what he was - a lost and confused  _ kid _ with way too much on his shoulders. 

 

“You trust your instincts, kid. I’m sure you can sort it out for yourself.” Leo nodded, confidently, and then they were at the Snart residence. Len bent down onto one knee and nodded towards the house. “This is your stop. Keep her safe, kid. You’re doing a great job.” Lisa’s tired eyes blinked open and she smiled, turning his cheek towards the man. Len huffed, knowing what that meant, and pressed a tiny kiss to her cheek. “It was great meeting you, Lisa.” 

 

“Bye, ‘Wen.” Len grinned. Maybe Allen wasn’t the worst choice for a name then. 

 

Leo looked at his sisters profile fondly as Len moved away before looking back at the man before him. 

 

“Nice meeting you, Allen.” Leo looked like he wanted to say more, mouth still slightly open, before he pursed his lips, shook his head, and turned back to take his sister into the house. 

 

“Hey, Leo?” Leo’s head turned back slightly and Len sighed. This was a choice, and a real one. It was that moment, when Lewis learned his son had taught himself to pick locks, that started Len’s life of crime. If Lewis learned he couldn’t, every part of Len’s life would be different. “Tell your old man you picked the lock yourself. If he asks. And actually learn how - practice.” Len fished the wire out of his pocket, stepping forward to press it into his younger self’s hand. “Get good. You never know how an ability like that could help someone.” 

 

Before Leo could respond, Len turned on his heel and walked away, not turning back. He listened though, and after a long pause, he heard the door to his old house open and close, and knew he had sealed his fate. 

 

But that was okay, because Len  _ liked _ stealing. He didn’t want to change that, still wanted to be the best thief the world had ever seen. He didn’t regret that part of himself and he never would. But maybe, even if he was a criminal . . . maybe he could keep his heart a little longer. 

 

And with that thought, Len found that very missing heart, and pulled with it. 

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

“Lenny?” Lenny looked down at his little sister, all bouncing curls and grace. After she’d started figure skating, she became so damn  _ graceful _ sometimes it was all he could see. Especially now, after having been without her for six months and only getting back a few weeks previous. Just in time to see his grandfather’s last few weeks. 

 

“Yeah, Lisey?” She sniffled slightly, eyes wet but no tears falling. Lenny’s eyes were wet too, but he was hiding it well. 

 

“I know ‘m not ‘sposed to cry cuz I gotta be strong, but Lenny,  _ I miss grandpa _ .” Lenny sighed, lowering himself to his knees so he could meet Lisa’s eyeline. 

 

“It’s okay Lisey. It’s not weak to miss grandpa. You can cry if you need to. Just try not to be too loud, and get it out before we get home, okay?” Lisa nodded, fat tears beginning to fall down her cheeks at his encouragement, and he pulled her into him. 

 

“Now it’s just you me an-and daddy, an’ grandpa was always so much  _ nicer _ than daddy. Daddy’s never nice.” 

 

Lenny sighed, pushing his little sister’s curls back and moving her face to look at him. “I know, sis. I know. But I’ll always be nice to you, right? I’m your big brother. It’s my job.” 

 

She rolled her eyes at him. “You’re not nice, you’re a dork.” He laughed, and her mouth moved into a small, but it was small and she wouldn’t look at him anymore. He tried to catch her eye, asking what was wrong, and she kept avoiding him until eventually she sighed and looked him dead in the eyes. “What if you leave again though? Then who’s gonna be nice to me? I’ll be all alone and  _ no one _ is gonna care and it’s just not - it’s not  _ fair. _ ” 

 

Lenny pursed his lips for a moment before smiling slightly. “Do you remember the nice man we met when your mom-” Lenny stopped unsure how to continue. Lisa hiccupped slightly before nodding. “He was nice, right?” Again she nodded, this time slower, more thoughtfully. Lenny was sure she barely remembered him, she’d only been three, but that man had made quite an impression on the siblings. “And he said there were other people out there like him - not a lot, but they’re  _ there _ Lisa, and you’re going to find them, and surround yourself with them.” 

 

“H-How do you know?” 

 

“Because, those are the best sorts of people, Lisey, and you  _ deserve _ the best people in your life.” 

 

“Like Allen?” Lenny shouldn’t be so surprised she remembered his name, but he was. It had been years ago now, and she’d been so small. “Like you?” Her voice was small, and almost teasing, but Len felt his chest swell with pride, at the thought that his little sister thought  _ he _ was the best sort of people. 

 

“Yeah, Lisey. Like me and Allen. Like you. Like grandpa.” With that, he stood and turned back towards the front of the church, where his grandfather’s casket lay closed, the wood glinting in the colored lights streaming in through the stained glass windows. It was heartbreakingly beautiful, and maybe life could be like that too - Lenny knew life was gonna be hard, knew it was gonna suck, but maybe in the end it would be worth remembering. 


	4. The First Hit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len finally leaves his street - but is finding his sister in a hospital really all that much better?

Len looked around, glad to have  _ finally _ left his street before grunting. He  _ hated _ hospitals, and seriously doubted that he’d like it anymore after this visit. He wondered what he’d be here for, whether he was  _ finally _ gonna meet someone who wasn’t his own family, but the familiar brown curls told him otherwise. And now he realized that he could hear Lewis berating a nurse down the hallway. He rolled his eyes and strode into the waiting room, plopping down in one of the few empty seats, which happened to be next to a young Lisa Snart. 

 

The girl was still heartbreakingly small, but significantly bigger than he’d last saw her. She was cradling her wrist to her chest, eyes focused ahead, wet but not dripping. 

 

He glanced at her arm and saw the painful looking mark, purpling up her arm and down her hand.    
  
“Y’okay, kid?” She startled slightly, eyes turning to him, and her brow creased slightly. He nodded to her wrist, face blank. “That looks like it hurt.” 

 

“I fell.” Len resisted the urge to snort.  _ I’m sure _ . She turned to look at him more fully, and Len felt a jolt of familiarity, being surprised by the cut on her head. And  _ oh _ , Len knew when he was. This was the first time their dad had hit her with any force. She’d fallen, hit her head on the corner of the table, and broken her wrist. He winced, looking at the cut that ran along the top of her forehead, with her hairline, only visible because of her ponytail. 

 

“Must’ve been a bad fall. Your parents around?” Lisa nodded and pointed down the hall where the shouting had only gotten louder. 

 

“Nurse was saying I wasn’t a priority and dad didn’t like that much.” She sniffed daintily, eyes staying on the hall where her father’s was emitting from. 

 

“I wouldn’t either. That looks broken, best to set it soon, it’s probably really hurting you.” She nodded, sniffing again, and her uninjured hand moved from her wrist to her head, directly below her knew cut. 

 

Even if he hadn’t known from experience, looking at that gash told him it was gonna scar. He didn’t say as much, but apparently he didn’t have to. “It’s gonna leave a mark. I know it. Just like Lenny, ‘cept Lenny’s aren’t on his  _ face _ .” She hiccupped again and Len realized she was swallowing down sobs, shoulders moving slightly. She’d known how to cry silently her whole life, and apparently this was no different. 

 

“Hey, what’s wrong? You’re crying. Does it hurt that bad?” A tear slipped from her eye and she swiped it away angrily, willing the others to stay where they are. She shook her head, mouth forming a small pout. “Then what’s wrong, kid?” 

 

She pursed her lips before sighing. “I know it’s dumb, okay, Lenny tells me all the time that I have to be realistic, but I - I wanna be a princess, and princesses don’t have  _ scars _ . But now I do and I just-” She huffed, angry, and Len was quickly reminded that this had happened when Lisa was  _ seven _ , and that wanting to be a princess still was honestly the most logical part of this situation. 

 

“Princesses sound boring.” She turned to glare at him and he held his hands up. “Sorry, I’m just telling the truth. No scars? Scars are a part of living, kid. Everybody’s got’em. If princess don’t, then they’ve probably never climbed a tree, or rode a bike, or played at the beach. Sounds pretty boring.” 

 

She was quiet for a minute. “Lenny’s gonna take me to the beach, someday. My brother.” Len started, slightly. He knew, that by this time, Len had left under dubious circumstances. His dad had kicked him out and he’d fled like a coward, and left Lisa alone. He wouldn’t see her for another couple of years. But she was talking like she’d see him in a couple of weeks, and that hurt. Made him wonder when that part of her would break, just like her wrist. “He’s out in Coast City, with his mom. He said that they have these really pretty beach there and that he’d take me to visit during the summer.” 

 

Len smiled at her, trying to keep it small but knowing it probably stretched just slightly wide. He’d fixed that, at least. He didn’t abandon his sister anymore. She never had to know what losing him felt like. He hadn’t broken her. “That sounds like fun. But you can’t go to the beach like that if your a princess.” 

 

She sat for a moment in contemplation. “Then what should I be?” 

 

“You could always be a superhero.” She laughed at that. “What, superhero less realistic than a princess? I hear they get to go to the beach, and climb trees. They just happen to save a couple of kittens while they’re up there.” Lisa giggled again, and Len laughed to himself, standing and beginning to walk away. “Think about it kid - pay might not be great, but that’s what an alter ego is for. And maybe your brother can take care of you until they give you the key to the city.”  

 

Len laughed even more when he heard her mutter under his breath, “Lenny’d just steal the key and rob the whole city, then I’d be the one cleaning up his mess.” 

 

It wasn’t hard, this time, to find his heart and pull himself forward with it. 

 

\----------------------------------------------------------

 

Lisa’s head was spinning. The drugs were starting to take effect. She was all prepped for surgery, and Lenny (“ _ It’s just Len, now, Lisa, not Lenny”) _ was gripping her hand tightly, telling her some stupid story from his last heist. After the story trails off and her laughter dies, she looks down at her leg and sighs. 

 

“What are we gonna do, Lenny?” He scowls at the name, but his eyes look saddened by her question. 

 

“I don’t know Lisey. We’ll figure it out, we always do.” 

 

“We were supposed to be set.” She knew the drugs were making her a little sleepy and hazy, and she would blame that for the tears that started to fall. She was normally stronger than that. “I was gonna go to the Olympics and we were gonna be  _ set _ , Lenny, for life. And now-” She stopped, and moved her eyes from her leg, disgusted. 

 

“I know, Lisa, this was your dream. I’m so sorry this happened to you. I’m gonna do my best, Lise, to figure this out. But I’ll be right here. We’ll figure out a new dream for you, something even better than figure skating. 

 

“Maybe I’ll fall back on my childhood dream.” 

 

Lenny snorted. “Yeah. Maybe some royal family will adopt you and you can be a princess of some far away kingdom.” 

 

She rolled her eyes at him, though they felt heavy, and sleep sounded  _ really _ good right then. Her free hand moved up to her hairline, to the barely noticeable but still  _ there  _ scar. “No, Lenny. ‘M g’nna be a superhero.” 

  
And with that, Lisa was out cold, and even if her brother teased her about it later, she didn’t feel  _ wrong _ . She could be a superhero if she wanted. Maybe it would even be fun to take down her big brother sometimes. Ever since she was six and cradling a broken wrist, Lisa spent lots of time thinking of how great it would be to save people. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you might have noticed that there's a chapter total - and that's because I actually have an outline for this story now! Which is something I normally never have, but I needed to figure out which moments I was going to have him change, and how that would effect the future and it all became very confusing without having an outline. Now the story is coming together, and I have an end goal, so that's new. I'm putting my main project off because it is giving me too many issues to incorporate the main character, so it's just not happening for now. But the good news is that this is now my main project!   
> This is the last of the chapters I have prewritten, because my old chapter five no longer makes sense in the overall plot (which is actually why I made the whole outline). Either way, it might take awhile to get the next chapter, because I just moved, but hopefully I'll be able to get this done tomorrow or Monday and have something posted next week? Either way, we'll find out. Hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> So, Len's a little OOC. There's three reasons for that:  
> 1) He's intially very startled and confused. He didn't really have time to put up any walls before he was in the middle of the conversation.  
> 2) By the time he was caught up, he realized that he was with a force that couldn't reveal any weakness he may show to anyone. It didn't help that it reminded him of his baby sister.  
> 3) This is Len out of time. So, he is a little . . . different. While this Len is the one who dies at the end of season 1 of Legends, he's also at a turning point. Being outside of any timeline, even outside of his own timeline, means he is being slightly affected by things that are yet to come. 
> 
> Either way, thanks so much for reading! I'm editing the other two chapters and getting started on the fourth, so they should be up soon, but this is a side project. Maybe at some point I will get ambitious enough to post my main project but who knows. The beginning is giving me major issues on that one. So, see you soon!


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